Type of soil normally used for bonsai. It is very porous with excellent moisture retention.

Ara kawa sho

A tree showing a rough bark.

Ara ki or ara gi

A tree that is potted the first time to be trained.

Atama / [ Ju ] Shin

The top or apex of a tree.

Bankan

The "coiled trunk" bonsai style. The trunk slants to all sides and normally has only branches at the top.

Bon

Ceramic container or pot in which bonsai is planted.

Bon kei

Natural landscapes in a pot.

Bunjingi or Bunjin

The "literati" bonsai style. One of the basic styles. The idea behind Bunjingi is that in nature the tree, under adverse environmental conditions, has found its way to survive, being forced to contortions and unnormal shapes. (See also section Bonsai styles in Encyclopedia).

Chiu

Tree up to 12" - 24" tall.

Chokkan

The "formal upright" bonsai style. One of the basic styles. Branch style. Essential for this style is a straight trunk with a naturally balanced branch structure. (See also section Bonsai styles in Encyclopedia).

Branch extending from the trunk with subsequent ramification to form a horizontal pad. (See also Eda-wari).

Eda tsugi

Branch craft.

Eda uchi

The harmonizing effect of the branches.

Eda-nuki

The process of removing unwanted branches.

Eda-wari

Tree showing various Eda tanya branch pads. (See also Eda tanya).

Eda-zashi

The proces of branch pruning.

Fukinagashi

The "windswept" bonsai style. One of the basic styles. This windswept style simulates the effect of extreme exposure to strong winds. (See also section Bonsai styles in Encyclopedia).

Gi sei shi (Gi sei eda)

A branch left to grow only for overall growth of the tree. Also called "Sacrifice branch".

Gobo-ne

The tap root.

Gokan

The "five-trunk" bonsai style.

Goro tsuchi

Course soil that is used at the bottom of the pot for good drainage.

Ha gari

Leaf pinching.

Ha mizu

Moistening the leafs with water.

Ha zashi

Leaf pruning.

Hachi

See Bon.

Han-Kengai

The "semi-cascade" bonsai style. One of the basic styles. The trunk grows straight for a while and then cascades down at a slight angle, not as dramatic as in the cascade style. (See also section Bonsai styles in Encyclopedia).

Hari gane kake

The wiring of a tree.

Hinoki

False cypress

Hokidachi

The "broom" bonsai style. Branch style. The branch formation on the top of the tree look like an upside down broom.

Hon bachi

Bonsai dish.

Hon bachi age

Tree that is shown at exhibition with special high-class pot.

Ikada buki

The "raft" bonsai style. The plant is planted sideways with some of the branches showing out of the soil. These branches are the future trees. Special form of the Yosu-Ue (wood) style.

Iki michi

The live part of the trunk. (See also Jin and Shari).

Is sai sho

For a bonsai it is the first year it blooms, unites or roots.

Ishi tsuki (ishi duke)

The "clinging to a rock" or "rock grown" bonsai style. Composition style. Tree is planted partially on a rock with the root involving part of the stone.

Ji dai

Age. Basic for bonsai, you talk about a "good Jidai".

Jin (Eda-jin)

One of the "dead wood" techniques. The intention is to give the tree an old and lightly damaged look. Most seen on conifers. Jins are applied on a branch or the top of the tree. (See also Shari, Sabamiki).

Ju sei

The vigor of growth. The character of the tree.

Ju shin

Top of the tree, includes apex and top branches.

Ka numa tsuchi

Kanuma soil. High moisture retention and very good drainage.

Kabu wake

The separation of the roots.

Kabudachi

The "clump" bonsai style.

Kan nuki eda (Kuruma eda)

A branch that must be cut off.

Kan rei sha

Cloth used for frost protection in winter as well as sun protection in summer.

Kan sui

Watering.

Kanju

Deciduos tree.

Kann jou hakuhi

The process of developing roots by peeling bark off a branch at width of and covering it with sphagnum moss.

Karai [Mizu ga]

Sparingly appliance of water.

Karami nei

Tangled and intertwining roots that should not appear at the surface.

Kari komi

The pruning of leaves and branches.

Karusu

Callous. The healing process of a wound.

Kata eda

A tree with branches appearing only on one side of the trunk.

Kata ne

A tree with roots appearing only on one side of the trunk.

Katamaru (Sekka sho)

The hardening of a new growth into a branch. Hardening characteristic.

Ke sho tsuchi

Decorative soil.

Kei sei sou

Cambium.

Kengai (Ken gai ju kei)

The "cascade" bonsai style. One of the basic styles. The trunk starts growing upward, but then turns downward and reaches a point below the base of the pot. (See also section Bonsai styles in Encyclopedia).

Keto tsuchi

Peat.

Kiki eda

Point of tree to focus on. Can be the primer branch. (See also Ushiro Eda, Uke Eda, Kuitsuki Eda, Sashi Eda, Mae Eda).

Kiri komi

Trimming. Pruning.

Kiri modoshi

Cutting back.

Ko eda

Very elegant branch.

Koke jun

A tree with a large trunk base which narrows as it extends to the apex.

Komochi

See Sokan.

Koshi daka

Tree with high waist. The distance between the base of the tree and the first branch is too long.

Koshi mizu

Bonsai pot placed in a large container of water with the water seeping into the soil through the drainage holes.

The "informal upright" bonsai style. One of the basic styles. Similar to the formal upright style, but the top of the trunk instead of growing straight bends slightly to the front. (See also section Bonsai styles in Encyclopedia).

Ne bari

Part of the spread root formation of the tree that is visible.

Ne buse (Ne zashi)

Root pruning.

Ne Tsugi

Root grafting.

Ne Tsunagari

The "connected root" bonsai style.

Ne-Agari

The "exposed root" bonsai style.

Nejikan

The "twisted trunk" bonsai style.

Oi komi

Shortening back close to the trunk.

Oki goe

Fertiliser, normally in powder form.

Saba miki

One of the "dead wood" techniques. The intention is to give the tree an old and lightning damaged look. Most seen on conifers. Sabamiki is the denomination for hollow trunks. (See also Jin, Shari).

The "tree planted on rock" bonsai style. Tree is planted on a well formed rock (simulating mountain, slope etc.)

Sekkai iou gouzai

Lime sulfure mix used to control insects and mites.

Sekkan (Setsu kan)

Distance between two nodes.

Sekkan ga tobu

Too long distance between buds or branches.

Sen tei

The planning and trimming of a tree.

Shakkan

The "slanting" bonsai style. One of the basic styles. Shakkan style can be considered the intermediate stadium between the informal upright and cascade styles as the tree still grows up, but tends to bend down. (See also section Bonsai styles in Encyclopedia).

Shari

One of the "dead wood" techniques. The intention is to give the tree an old and lightning damaged look. Most seen on conifers. In contrast to Jins Shari is a dead part on the trunk. (See also Jin, Sabamiki).

Sharimiki

The "driftwood" bonsai style.

Shidare-Zukuri

The "weeping branches" bonsai style.

Shime komu

The process to maintain compact ramification.

Shin sho

New branch growth during the ongoing year.

Shita eda

Single or group of lower branches.

Shito

Tree up to 3" tall.

Sho

The special quality of an individual characeristic of the tree.

Sho haku

Conifers.

Shohin

Tree up to 10" tall.

Shoki

Bonsai made of recollected specimen.

Shu boku

The main tree of a display.

Soe

Ornamentary complement to a tree.

Sokan (Sou kan)

The "twin trunk" bonsai style.

Soko ne

Bottom part of the root appearing directly under the trunk.

Sui ban

A water basin. Pot without water drainage hole.

Sui seki

Rocky landscape set up on sui ban (pot without water drainage hole).

Sukasu

Thinning of the leaves' volume.

Tachi agari

Part of the trunk from the base of the tree up to the first branch.

Taka ue

Planting the tree at a soil level that is higher than the rim of the pot.

Tama hi

Round organic fertilizer balls.

Tan gei

Bonsai material.

Tan shi

Short branch grown during one year.

Tan yo hou

Short leaf method. (See also Mekiri).

Tana kazari

Bonsai tree displayed in a shelf.

Tana wari

Distance between root shelfs. (See also Eda tanya, Eda wari).

Tankan

The "single trunk" bonsai style.

Tatekae

Reshaping of the tree structure.

Teki shin

Removal of shoots.

Ten

Apex or top of the tree.

To cho shi

A branch that has grown to long only used to thicken branches or trunk.

Tori ki

The process of developing roots by peeling bark off a trunk. Upper part of the trunk is cut off to develop another tree.

Tori ki mono

Bonsai developed with Tori ki layering technique.

Toushi tsugi

Grafting method by threading the scion through a hole drilled through the trunk or branch.

Tsugi ho

Scion. A small piece of plant tissue (the scion) that is made to unite with an established plant (the stock - Dai ki)

Tsugi ki

The process of grafting trees.

Tsugi ki mono

The process of grafting bonsai.

Tsukami yose

Clustered bonsai style. Many seedlings placed with roots intertwined which will fuse together and appear as a single multi-trunk tree or group.